DHS review reflects four years of evolution

Jun. 20, 2014 - 06:00AM
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DHS's second quadrennial review shows how the department has developed in response to a changing profile of theats. (DHS Report Cover)

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The Homeland Security Department has released its second quadrennial review, marking progress the department has made since the first such review released four years ago.

“The Department of Homeland Security’s first quadrennial review answered the question, ‘What is homeland security?,’ laying out the vision, five mission areas, and goals and objectives for homeland security,” reads the DHS announcement. “This second quadrennial review reflects a more focused, collaborative Departmental strategy, planning, and analytic capability. The risk-informed priorities set forth in this Review will drive operational planning, as well as analysis of resource and capability options and tradeoffs over the next four years. “

“In this report, we conclude that we will continue to adhere to the five basic homeland security missions set forth in the first Quadrennial Homeland Security Review report in 2010, but that these missions must be refined to reflect the evolving landscape of homeland security threats and hazards,” reads the report’s executive summary. “The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 illustrate these evolving threats and hazards. We must constantly learn from them and adapt. The terrorist threat is increasingly decentralized and may be harder to detect. Cyber threats are growing and pose ever-greater concern to our critical infrastructure systems as they become increasingly interdependent. Natural hazards are becoming more costly to address, with increasingly variable consequences due in part to drivers such as climate change and interdependent and aging infrastructure.”